16 WAPT News has uncovered a color film that shows a bustling metropolis that is Jackson in 1938. The silent film shows a downtown packed with merchants and shoppers -- a city proud of its ever-expanding infrastructure and dedication to public safety.

Ben Allen, of the Downtown Jackson Partners, remembers when Capitol Street was a hub of activity.

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"It brings back some great memories. I remember a lot of that hustle and bustle downtown. Sears and Roebuck was downtown -- get 10 cents worth of malted milk balls, or whatever," Allen said after watching the film.

But what many have noticed in the film is the lack of African-Americans. For the people who lived through segregation, the film evokes painful memories.

"But, back at that time, if you see a group of whites coming, you step off the sidewalk and you step out here and let them pass, so they wouldn't spit on you," said Jackson resident Willie Mae Shirley.

"You can try it on and go into the back. Go to the back of the store and you have that one area for blacks," said Jackson resident Lillian Cooley.

Mississippi's Jim Crow laws are gone. Many downtown shops left for the suburbs, too. But many iconic landmarks filmed 75 years ago remain. Like the Central Fire Station, Jackson City Hall and the Standard Life building.

Capitol Street in 2013 is much different than it was in the 1930s. There's a lot less hustle and bustle and one thing one sees is a lot of empty storefronts. But some do believe the area will thrive again.

"I would say five or six years from now some of these (projects) come through -- particularly a convention center hotel -- it's really close. There will be a lot more hustle and bustle. It won't be like (the film), but it'll be a lot more," Allen said.

Back in the 1930s, folks packed into Livingston Lake and Zoo. The film shows people swimming or visiting zoo animals. But, not everyone was afforded the opportunity.

"So, when we saw the swimming area and the zoo, when you were a child, could you go there?" 16 WAPT's Darren Dedo asked Cooley.

"No," she said.

"Why?" Dedo asked.

"They were not open to us, as far as I remember," Cooley said.

The crowds disappeared from Livingston Lake when the city shut it down after integration. Today, fishing is allowed on a limited basis. Meanwhile, the Jackson Zoo is undergoing major renovations. Soon, visitors will see new animals and better exhibits.

Dr. Steve Rozman, of Tougaloo College, said the film tells a lot about Jackson's past.

"When they're showing people of any kind of importance -- authority, smiling kids -- it's all whites (and) just a glimpse of African-Americans. They're doing drudgery (and) the dirty work. (It) really shows how polarized the city was back then," Rozman said.

Rozman believes downtown Jackson is prime for a comeback to live up to the film's name, "A City of Progress."

"So, you're starting to have nice apartment complexes, younger people are moving back into them. So, the more that happens and people feel safe, then you could have a vibrant downtown," Rozman said.